Liquid crystal devices (or displays for digital or alpha-numeric readout components) are extensively utilized in the electronic field, where such devices may be an integral part of the electronic equipment.
For example, in the prior art a liquid crystal cell made by conventional semiconductor fabrication process is generally combined with an integrated circuit silicon chip that acts as a substrate for the liquid crystal cell. Such a chip has conductive layers embedded in its inner surface and these layers act as electrodes for making electrical connection between the integrated circuit of the chip and electrical circuits external to the cell. A glass faceplate having a transparent layer of indium-tin-oxide attached thereto, faces the surface of the chip in which the electrodes are embedded. Supports at the edges of the cell are provided to separate the glass faceplate and chip, and conventional liquid crystal fluid is used to fill the spacing between the chip and faceplate.
Major disadvantages of the prior art cell are the different thermal expansion rates of the integrated circuit chip material and the liquid crystal fluid. Such different thermal expansion rates result in warpage of the liquid crystal cell due to the different changes in dimensions of the cell materials.
These different thermal expansion rates also are responsible for failure of the cell to maintain the required dimensional tolerances of its several structural parts, and results in a generally inferior cell quality as well as a low cell manufacture yield.
Another disadvantage of prior art cell is the absence of adequate support structure throughout the cell area. Such lack of support structure enables the different cell components to independently expand at their differing thermal expansion rates and further results in poor cell quality as well as relatively rapid cell deterioration and warpage with time. Due to the absence of adequate internal cell support structure, no isolation or distinct lines of demarcation between the cell's picture areas are provided, resulting in a certain amount of cross-talk between such picture areas, and also contributing to reduction in the cell's picture resolution capabilities.